UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
CM/ECF
CASE MANAGEMENT/ELECTRONIC CASE FILES
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
AS AMENDED THROUGH JULY, 2011
Table of Contents
ELECTRONIC FILING AND PDF................................................................................................ 2
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ........................................................................................... 2
A. Effective Dates and Other General Information .............................................................. 2
B. Modifications ................................................................................................................... 3
C. Relief from Administrative Procedures; Failure to Comply ............................................ 4
D. Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 4
E. Registration ...................................................................................................................... 5
F. Filing and Service of Civil and Miscellaneous Case Opening Documents...................... 6
G. Electronic Filing ............................................................................................................... 7
H. Service of Electronically Filed Documents ...................................................................... 9
I. Documents with Fee Requirement ................................................................................. 10
J. Courtesy Copies for Judicial officers ............................................................................. 10
K. Deadlines ........................................................................................................................ 11
L. Special Filing Requirements and Exceptions ................................................................. 11
M. Signature......................................................................................................................... 13
N. Privacy............................................................................................................................ 14
O. Attachments to Filings and Exhibits .............................................................................. 15
P. File Size Limitations and Conventional Filing of Documents ....................................... 15
Q. Orders and Judgments .................................................................................................... 16
R. Motions for Leave to File ............................................................................................... 17
S. Submitting Redacted Documents ................................................................................... 17
T. Submitting Proposed Order ............................................................................................ 17
U. Transcripts ...................................................................................................................... 18
V. Correcting Docket Entries .............................................................................................. 18
W. Technical Failures and Planned Unavailability of System............................................. 19
X. Access to Electronically Stored Documents .................................................................. 19
Y. Retention ........................................................................................................................ 19
APPENDIX I ................................................................................................................................ 20
APPENDIX II ............................................................................................................................... 21
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ELECTRONIC FILING AND PDF
Electronic Filing is the process of uploading a document from the registered user’s computer,
using the court’s Internet-based Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) system, to
file the document in the court’s official case file. The CM/ECF system only accepts documents
in ‘portable document format’ (PDF). There are two types of PDF documents:
Electronically converted PDF documents are created from word processing documents
(MS Word, WordPerfect, etc.) using any appropriate software. These documents are text
searchable and the file size is generally smaller than a scanned document. CM/ECF users
may use any brand of software to convert documents to PDF.
Scanned PDF documents are created from paper documents run through an optical
scanner. Scanned PDF documents are generally not searchable and have a larger file size.
Please note that software used to create scanned documents may (and should) be set in
such a way that the document is “text-searchable.”
Documents converted to PDF, rather than scanned, are preferred for filing in CM/ECF.
NOTE: the court will begin requiring submission of documents in PDF/A format in the
foreseeable future. PDF/A is an enhanced version of the traditional PDF format. Newer
versions of most PDF software will be able to convert to this format. Additional
information on PDF/A documents may be found on the court’s website at
http://www.mad.uscourts.gov/training/pdf/pdfa.pdf.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
A. Effective Dates and Other General Information
1. The court began accepting filings electronically through the CM/ECF system on
October 1, 2003. Local Rule 5.4, (LR) as modified on January 1, 2006, mandates
that all documents submitted for filing in all civil and criminal cases, except those
documents specifically exempted in subsection L of these procedures, must be
filed electronically using the ECF system. Any variation of these requirements
can be made only by orders issued by individual judges.
2. On January 1, 2006 the court integrated the United States Treasury’s “pay.gov”
service into CM/ECF to accept case-related fees. LR 67.4, effective January 1,
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2009 requires that all CM/ECF users pay case-related fees through CM/ECF and
pay.gov.
3. The clerk's office will not maintain a paper document file in any civil or criminal
case commenced after October 1, 2003, except as otherwise provided herein or as
ordered by the judge in a particular session. (The official case files in actions
commenced prior to October 1, 2003 may contain both paper versions of those
documents filed prior to October 1, 2003 and electronic files of the documents
filed on or after October 1, 2003). The official court record in ECF cases shall be
the electronic file maintained on the court's database servers together with any
paper documents, attachments and exhibits filed in accordance with these
procedures.
Documents delivered to the court as a courtesy copy will not be maintained in the
official court record.
4. The clerk’s office will maintain a paper case file for cases involving pro se
litigants, but may discard any original document after it has been scanned and
uploaded to ECF.
5. All documents filed by electronic means must comply with technical standards
established by the Judicial Conference of the United States or by this court.
6. The court adopted its Transcript Redaction Policy effective May 5, 2008.
7. The procedures governing electronic case filing shall be known as the
“Administrative Procedures for Electronic Case Filing in the United States
District Court for the District of Massachusetts.” They shall be cited as “APECF.”
8. These administrative procedures are intended to supplement the local rules of the
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts to the extent
necessary to establish procedures for the signing, filing, service, maintenance and
verification of documents by electronic means. Unless modified by an order of the
court, all Federal Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure, local rules, and standing
orders of the court shall continue to apply to cases that are subject to electronic
case filing.
B. Modifications
The court may modify these administrative procedures without prior notice as justice may
require.
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C. Relief from Administrative Procedures; Failure to Comply
1. Relief from Administrative Procedures. The court may deviate from these
procedures in specific cases, without prior notice, if deemed appropriate in the
exercise of discretion, considering the need for the just, speedy, and inexpensive
determination of matters pending before the court.
2. Relief from Failure to Comply. The court may excuse a failure to comply with any
administrative procedure whenever justice so requires.
3. Sanctions for Failure to Comply. Except as provided by law, the court may
impose sanctions as provided in LR 1.3 for failure to comply with these
administrative procedures or with LR 5.4.
D. Definitions
CM/ECF means the court’s Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System, which is
an automated system that receives and stores documents in electronic form.
Document means any written matter filed by or with the court, whether filed
conventionally or electronically, including but not limited to motions, pleadings,
applications, petitions, notices, declarations, affidavits, exhibits, briefs, memoranda of
law, orders, and deposition transcripts.
Electronic Filing or Electronically Filed means the transmission of a document in a
portable document format (“PDF”) for filing using the ECF system facilities.
Electronic Order or Electronic Notice means any order (or notice) of the court that is not
accompanied by a PDF document.
Event is the term used to describe the menu items that may be selected to file documents
in CM/ECF. For example, a memorandum in opposition is an event.
Filer means the attorney (or pro se litigant) with a CM/ECF login and password.
MBD means cases filed on the Miscellaneous Business Docket. (With a docket type of
“mc”)
Notice of Electronic Filing or NEF means the notice automatically generated by CM/ECF
each time a document is electronically filed.
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PDF or PDF/A means Portable Document Format. This includes both “Electronically
Converted PDF Documents,” and “Scanned PDF Documents.” Electronically converted
PDF documents are created from a word processing system (MS Word, WordPerfect,
etc.) using PDF creation software and are text searchable. Scanned PDF documents are
created from paper documents run through an optical scanner. Scanned documents may
not be text-searchable.
E. Registration
1. Attorneys admitted to the bar of this court. Attorneys admitted to the bar of this
court, including attorneys admitted pro hac vice, are required to register as users
of the court's CM/ECF system prior to filing any pleadings electronically.
Registration can be accomplished by using the on-line CM/ECF registration or by
completing a CM/ECF Registration Form, a copy of which is on the court’s
website (www.mad.uscourts.gov). If not submitted on-line, completed CM/ECF
registration forms should be mailed or hand delivered to:
Clerk, United States District Court
Attn: CM/ECF Registration
John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse
1 Courthouse Way, Suite 2300
Boston, MA 02210
Once an account has been established by the court, the CM/ECF login and
password will be sent to the registered user by the clerk’s office via email.
Failure to file electronically. The clerk’s office shall issue a notice regarding the
mandatory use of CM/ECF to any attorney who files a document on paper, except
as provided by subsection L. If the attorney continues to file documents on paper,
the clerk’s office shall prepare an Order to Show Cause for consideration by the
judge to whom the case is assigned.
2. Pro Se Litigants. Anyone who is a party to a civil action, and not a prisoner, and
who is not represented by an attorney may register as a filer in the CM/ECF
system. The party must (1) have the approval of the judicial officer assigned to
the case; and (2) attend a training session offered by the clerk’s office on the ECF
system or otherwise prove their proficiency on the use of the CM/ECF system
before an ECF login will be issued.
The pro se litigant’s filing access will be restricted to just those pending cases in
which he/she is appearing pro se. Pro se litigants will be given access to all
pending cases he or she has filed once written notice of these additional cases has
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been made to the clerk’s office at the address above. The pro se litigant is
obligated to notify the clerk’s office should he or she obtain counsel for any case
pending in this court.
3. Use of the login and password. A registered user shall not allow another person to
file a document using the user’s login and password, except for an authorized
agent of the filing user. Use of a user’s login and password by an authorized agent
shall be deemed to be the act of the registered user.
4. Obligation to update information. Each registered user has an obligation to
maintain his/her CM/ECF account, following the instructions found in this court’s
CM/ECF Attorney User Manual. The user must maintain current information for
his/her: name; mailing address (street and email); firm name or affiliation; and
telephone number. If participating in an active CM/ECF case, the user shall
inform the court and parties of such a change through the use of the “Notice of
Change of Address” event in CM/ECF in each active case as directed in LR
83.5.2(e).
NOTE: due to system configuration, some attorneys are unable to update
law firm affiliation and street address information. Attorneys unable to
update account information are asked to contact the contact the Bar
Liaison clerk at 617-748-9165 for assistance.
5. PACER registration. All registered CM/ECF users also shall apply for a PACER
account, and maintain a current user ID and password.
6. Service. Registering to use CM/ECF constitutes consent to service of all
documents by electronic means as provided in these procedures and Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure (Fed.R.Civ.P.) 5(b) and 77(d), and Federal Rule of Criminal
Procedure (Fed.R.Crim.P.) 49(b).
7. Email. Every registered user must maintain an electronic mailbox of sufficient
capacity, with the appropriate email permissions, to receive electronic notice of
case-related transmissions.
F. Filing and Service of Civil and Miscellaneous Case Opening Documents
1. Registered CM/ECF users shall file electronically any and all civil (“cv” case
type) and miscellaneous (sometimes referred to as MBD or “mc” case type) case
opening documents, such as a complaint, petition, or notice of removal in
accordance with the guidelines and restrictions described in subsection L of this
document. For civil cases only, filers shall submit the required civil cover and
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category sheets, both available on the court’s website. Pursuant to LR 67.4, all
case-related fees shall be paid by credit card in conjunction with CM/ECF and the
United States Treasury’s pay.gov service.
2. The clerk’s office shall create an electronic summons, when appropriate, and
provide it to counsel via CM/ECF. Recipients are directed to download the PDF
file from the Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) and create a summons for each
party to be served. A party may not electronically serve a civil complaint but shall
affect service in the manner required by Fed.R.Civ.P. 4. The return of service of
the summons (or other acknowledgment of service) shall be filed with the court
electronically.
3. If the attorney filing the new case is not yet registered to use CM/ECF, the clerk’s
office will issue the summons on paper, along with a notice regarding LR 5.4 and
the mandatory use of CM/ECF.
G. Electronic Filing
1. Electronic transmission of a document to the CM/ECF system, together with the
transmission of a Notice of Electronic Filing (NEF) from the court at the
completion of the transaction, constitutes the filing of the document for all
purposes of the Federal Rules of Procedure and constitutes entry of the document
on the docket maintained by the clerk pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 58 and 79 and
Fed.R.Crim.P. 55.
2. A document filed electronically shall be deemed filed as of the time and date
stated on the NEF received from the court.
3. All pleadings filed electronically shall be titled in accordance with the approved
dictionary of civil or criminal events of the CM/ECF system of this court. A list of
events is available on the CM/ECF Training Information page of the court’s
website. The clerk’s office may, when necessary and appropriate, modify the
docket entry description, or delete and re-enter the docket entry in order to
comply with the court’s quality assurance standards.
4. Any memorandum of law or other attachment filed in support of a main document
shall be filed as a separate document, using the proper event.
5. If the filer is contemporaneously filing an objection or opposition with a cross
motion, the cross motion must be filed as a separate docket entry.
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6. The filer shall verify the accuracy and readability of any PDF file before
electronically filing it in CM/ECF.
7. Electronically filed documents may contain the following types of hyperlinks:
(1) Hyperlinks to other portions of the same document;
(2) Hyperlinks to other documents filed within the CM/ECF system; and
(3) Hyperlinks to a location on the Internet that contains a source document
for a citation. Hyperlinks to cited authority may not replace standard
citation format. Complete citations must be included in the text of the filed
document. Neither a hyperlink, nor any site to which it refers, shall be
considered part of the record, but are simply convenient mechanisms for
accessing material cited in a document filed in CM/ECF. Instructions on
creating hyperlinks may be found in the CM/ECF User Manual.
The court accepts no responsibility for, and does not endorse, any product,
organization, or content at any hyperlinked site, or at any site to which that
site may be linked. The court accepts no responsibility for the availability
or functionality of any hyperlink.
NOTE regarding PDF/A: In the near future, the CM/ECF software will be
upgraded to require filers to submit documents in PDF/A.
One feature of PDF/A documents is that hyperlinks are commonly
“masked,” meaning that the full address of the referenced file is not
written out; for example, clicking the word brief may open a brief which
was previously filed in CM/ECF.
An “unmasked” hyperlink has the full address visible to the user, such as
”https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/doc1/04512244142".
Masked hyperlinks may or may not work in a PDF/A document,
depending on how it was created. Currently, masked hyperlinks are
preserved in PDF/A documents produced by the “Save As” method in
Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010; the “PDFMaker” method in Microsoft
Word 2007; and OpenOffice 2.4 (“PDF Export”). With other production
methods, such as WordPerfect, the PDF/A document includes underlined
words that appear to be links, but clicking them has no effect.
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8. CM/ECF will not accept PDF documents containing tracking tags, embedded
systems commands, password protections, access restrictions or other security
features, special tags or dynamic features.
H. Service of Electronically Filed Documents
1. Whenever a pleading or other document is filed electronically, the CM/ECF
system will automatically generate and send an NEF (via email) to the filer and all
CM/ECF registered users of record in the case.
2. Unless exempt or otherwise ordered by the court, all pleadings and other papers
must be served on other parties by electronic means, through CM/ECF. Any
pleading or other document filed with the court must bear a certificate of service
in accordance with LR 5.2(b). The certificate of service shall state that the filer:
(1) filed the document electronically, (2) that it will be served electronically to
registered CM/ECF participants via the NEF and (3) that the filer will send paper
copies to non-registered participants as indicated on the NEF.
Example:
Certificate of Service
I hereby certify that this document filed through the
CM/ECF system will be sent electronically to the registered
participants as identified on the NEF (NEF) and paper
copies will be sent to those indicated as non registered
participants on (date) .
3. Transmission of the NEF through the court’s transmission facilities will constitute
service of the filed document upon a registered CM/ECF user and shall be
deemed to satisfy the requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 5(b)(2)(E) and 77(d) and
Fed.R.Crim.P. 49(b). The party filing the document electronically is responsible
for serving a paper copy of the document by mail in accordance with Rule 5(b) to
those case participants who have not been identified on the NEF as electronic
recipients.
4. Service by electronic means shall be treated the same as service by mail. In
accordance with LR 7.1, a party opposing a motion, shall file an opposition within
14 days after the motion is served, unless (1) the motion is for summary
judgment, in which case the opposition shall be filed within 21 days after the
motion is served or (2) another period is fixed by rule or statute, or by order of the
court.
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NOTE regarding NEFs received in error: CM/ECF users are obligated not to
disseminate any notices received in error, electronically or on paper. Such notices
shall be deleted immediately from the recipient’s email. The recipient shall notify
the clerk’s office immediately.
5. In general, the court does not accept documents by email or by fax. If the court, in
special circumstances, does authorize the submission of a document in that
manner, the document shall not be considered filed until an NEF is generated by
CM/ECF at the completion of the transaction.
I. Documents with Fee Requirement
Documents filed in a case that require a fee, such as new civil and miscellaneous cases,
notices of appeal and motions for leave to appear pro hac vice shall be electronically
filed. The court uses the United States Treasury’s pay.gov service to process the payment
of case-related fees during the transaction, by credit or debit card. There is no additional
registration required to use this service.
Should the filer not pay the fee during the entry of the fee-related document, the filer will
be notified by the clerk’s office to pay the fee electronically. To do that, the filer must
first create a PDF document for filing captioned as “Notice of Attorney Payment of Fees”
(see Appendix II) and then file that document on the CM/ECF docket using the docket
entry of the same name, found under the Notices menu. That entry will allow the user to
identify what fee is being paid, and process the credit card information.
J. Courtesy Copies for Judicial officers
COURTESY COPIES OF DOCUMENTS FILED ELECTRONICALLY SHALL NOT
BE SUBMITTED ROUTINELY.
Judicial officers, on a case-by-case basis, may require courtesy copies for specific cases,
or types of motions, etc. A few Judicial Officers have entered Standing Orders, which
may be found on their respective pages on the court’s website (under Divisions). Any
document filed on paper with the court as a courtesy copy must be clearly labeled as such
(Example: COURTESY COPY - DO NOT SCAN). Documents delivered to the court as
a courtesy copy will not be maintained in the official court record.
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K. Deadlines
Filing documents electronically does not alter any filing deadlines.
Although CM/ECF is generally available 24 hours a day for filing, all electronic
transmissions of documents must be completed prior to 6:00 PM, Eastern Standard (or
Daylight Savings) Time, on the date on which it is due, in order to be considered timely
filed that day. When a specific time of day deadline is set by court order or stipulation,
the electronic filing must be completed by that time. Documents may be filed at any time
of the day on days prior to the date on which it is due.
Documents are not considered filed with the court until the NEF is generated by
CM/ECF.
L. Special Filing Requirements and Exceptions
1. The following documents shall be filed only on paper:
a. Sealed documents. These documents shall be conventionally filed, clearly
labeled as a “Sealed Document,” following the requirements of LR 7.2.
The filer shall also contemporaneously provide the court with a compact
disk of the main document and any accompanying memorandum of law or
exhibits as separate documents in PDF format, which shall be named and
organized in a manner that clearly identifies each document.
A party shall electronically file a motion, pursuant to LR 7.2, to file a
document under seal (unless the motion to seal itself is to be filed under
seal). Motions for impoundment shall be specific about what is to be
sealed (the document and/or the related docket entries). The motion for
impoundment shall be filed and ruled upon prior to submission of the
actual material sought to be impounded, unless the court orders otherwise.
If the motion is granted, the assigned judge will electronically file an order
authorizing the filing of the document under seal. The filing party shall
then deliver the document to the clerk’s office for conventional filing
under seal. A paper copy of the order shall be attached to the documents
filed under seal and delivered to the clerk.
b. Ex parte motions and applications. Ex parte motions and documents shall
be filed on paper. These will be handled by CM/ECF in a similar fashion
as sealed documents (except for the requirement to file a separate motion
to seal for each document).
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c. Pretrial hearing and trial exhibits.
d. Voluminous documents.
e. Medical Records.
2. The following documents shall be filed on paper. As a rule, they will be scanned
and filed into the CM/ECF system by the clerk’s office:
a. The charging document in a criminal case, such as the complaint (and
supporting affidavit), indictment, and information, as well as the criminal
JS45 form for the District of Massachusetts.
b. Applications and affidavits for search, seizure or arrest warrants and
related papers.
3. The following types of documents may be filed on paper. However, the
documents may be scanned and filed into the CM/ECF system by a filing party or
the clerk’s office, and will be accessible through PACER, where appropriate.
a. The state court record filed in 28 U.S.C. §1446 removal proceedings.
b. The state court record filed in habeas corpus (28USC§2254) proceedings.
c. All handwritten pleadings.
d. Pleadings and documents filed by pro se litigants.
e. Papers received from another court pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 5, 20 and
21.
f. Appearance bonds.
g. Any pleading or document in a criminal case containing the signature of a
defendant, such as a waiver of indictment or plea agreement.
4. The following documents may be received by the clerk’s office, but are not filed,
electronically or otherwise, unless ordered by the court:
a. Pretrial service reports.
b. Pre-sentencing reports and other papers submitted prior to sentencing.
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c. Documents filed in relation to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
proceedings. Other than the Order of Reference to ADR and the
subsequent reports from the ADR Provider, all documents generated by
the parties in the ADR process should be sent or delivered on paper (or
email, if directed to do so) to the ADR Provider, clearly identified as a
document for the ADR Provider. ADR documents are not part of the
public case file and are not to be filed electronically.
M. Signature
1. Attorneys. The user login and password required to submit documents to the
CM/ECF system shall serve as that user's signature for purposes of Fed.R.Civ.P.
11 and for all other purposes under the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal
Procedure and the local rules of this court. All electronically filed documents
must include a signature block and must set forth the attorney's name, bar number,
address, telephone number and email address. The name of the CM/ECF user
under whose log-in and password the document is submitted must be preceded by
a "/s/" and typed in the space where the signature would otherwise appear. For
example:
/s/ John A. Smith
John A. Smith BBO#123456
123 Main Street
Boston, MA 02210
617-987-6543
[email protected]
2. Multiple Signatures. The filer of any document requiring more than one signature
(e.g, stipulations, joint motions, joint status reports, magistrate judge consent
forms, etc.) must list thereon all the names of other signatories by means of a "/s/
name of signatory” block for each. By submitting such a document, the filing
attorney certifies that each of the other signatories has expressly agreed to the
form and substance of the document and that the filing attorney has their actual
authority to submit the document electronically. The filing attorney shall retain
any records evidencing this concurrence for future production, if necessary, until
two (2) years after the expiration of the time for filing a timely appeal. A non-
filing signatory or party who disputes the authenticity of an electronically filed
document containing multiple signatures must file an objection to the document
within fourteen (14) days of the date on the NEF.
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3. Affidavits. Except as provided in subsection L, affidavits shall be filed
electronically; however, the electronically filed version must contain a “/s/ name
of signatory” block indicating that the paper document bears an original signature.
The filing attorney shall retain the original for future production, if necessary, for
two (2) years after the expiration of the time for filing a timely appeal. The court
will also accept a scanned version of the original, signed document.
N. Privacy
Sensitive information including any subsequent amendments, should not be included in
any document filed with the court, in compliance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 5.2, Fed.R.Crim.P.
49.1 and the E-Government Act of 2002, unless such inclusion is necessary and relevant
to the case. Personal information not otherwise protected will be made available over the
Internet via PACER. Personal data identifiers must be partially redacted from the
pleading, whether it is filed traditionally or electronically.
The following personal identifiers shall not be included:
1. Minors' names (Use the minors' initials only)
2. Social security numbers (Use the last four numbers only)
3. Dates of birth (Use the year of birth only)
4. Financial account numbers (Identify the type of account and the financial
institution, but use only the last four numbers of the account number)
5. Home addresses (Use the city and state only) – in criminal proceedings only.
The clerk’s office is not responsible for reviewing documents filed with the court to
determine whether pleadings have been redacted and are in the proper form.
CM/ECF now includes a reminder on the login screen to all external filers regarding the
requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 5.2 and Fed.R.Crim.P. 49:
“IMPORTANT NOTICE OF REDACTION RESPONSIBILITY: All filers
must redact: Social Security or taxpayer-identification numbers; dates of birth;
names of minor children; financial account numbers; and, in criminal cases, home
addresses, in compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2 or Fed. R. Crim. P. 49.1. This
requirement applies to all documents, including attachments.
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I understand that, if I file, I must comply with the redaction rules. I have read this
notice.”
The Judicial Conference adopted Fed.R.Civ.P. 5.2 that specifically changes this access in
social security and immigration cases, allowing public Internet access to “an opinion,
order, judgment, or other disposition of the court, but not any other part of the case file or
administrative record.”
Therefore, remote electronic access to documents in certain types of cases (social security
and immigration matters) is limited to case participants with CM/ECF logins. However,
these cases and documents are available electronically to anyone wishing to view the
record at the public terminals found in the clerk’s office.
O. Attachments to Filings and Exhibits
1. Attachments to filings and exhibits must be filed in accordance with the court’s
CM/ECF User Manual, unless otherwise ordered by the court.
2. Filers must submit as attachments only those excerpts of the referenced
documents that are directly germane to the matter under consideration by the
court. Excerpted material must be clearly and prominently identified as such.
Users who file excerpts of documents do so without prejudice to their right to
timely file additional excerpts or the complete document, as may be allowed by
the court. Responding parties may timely file additional excerpts or the complete
document that they believe are directly germane.
3. Filers shall not attach as an exhibit any pleading or other paper already on file
with the court in that case, but shall merely refer to that document. (See
subsection G for information on using hyperlinks in PDF documents filed in
CM/ECF.)
P. File Size Limitations and Conventional Filing of Documents
1. Documents submitted electronically or on paper are subject to the page limitations
set by LR 7.1(b)(4) or by order of the court.
2. A filing party shall limit the size of each PDF file to no more than twenty
(20) megabytes. PDF files larger than seven megabytes will be rejected by
the CM/ECF system. The filer will see a message advising of the size limitation.
Larger documents or exhibits may be submitted electronically if split into separate
PDF files each less than seven megabytes, attached to the main document and
clearly labeled.
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3. The filing party is required to verify the accuracy and readability of scanned
documents before filing the documents electronically with the court.
4. Documents or exhibits submitted conventionally shall be served on other parties
by the filer using traditional means.
5. When documents or exhibits (other than those filed ex parte or under seal) are
submitted conventionally, a “Notice of Filing with clerk’s office” shall be filed
electronically and attached to the main document. A paper copy of the “Notice of
Filing with clerk’s office” must accompany the documents submitted to the court.
The “Notice of Filing with clerk’s office” (see Appendix I) shall describe each of
the documents that will be filed as paper copies in the clerk’s office, or shall
include an index of the documents if those documents are voluminous.
6. If an attachment or exhibit is conventionally filed, it shall be maintained and
available for inspection in the clerk’s office and will not be scanned and added to
the court’s electronic docket unless specifically directed to do so by the court.
However, the clerk’s office will make an entry on the docket stating that the
manual filing has been received.
Q. Orders and Judgments
1. The assigned judge, chambers staff or deputy clerk shall file electronically all
signed orders. Any order signed electronically has the same force and effect as if
the judge had affixed his/her signature to a paper copy of the order and it had been
entered on the docket conventionally. An electronically signed order shall include,
but is not limited to, the signatory’s name preceded by a “/s/” typed in the
document. Both judicial officers and deputy clerks may electronically sign orders,
as appropriate.
2. A judge, or deputy clerk, may rule on routine motions and enter other orders by a
text-only entry upon the docket entitled “Electronic Order” or “Endorsed Order.”
In such cases, no PDF document will be created or attached to the docket entry;
the text-only entry shall constitute the court's only order on the matter and counsel
will receive a system-generated NEF. The clerk’s office will send a hard copy of
the NEF to any attorney or party listed on the NEF as not receiving email notice.
The clerk’s office will also send the attorney a reminder of his/her obligation to
register for CM/ECF.
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R. Motions for Leave to File
If a party electronically files a motion, pursuant to LR 7.1, for leave to file a document,
or amend a previously filed document, the party shall attach a copy of the proposed
document to the motion for leave to file or amend. The attachment must be marked
“Proposed [document designation].” Once leave to file is granted, the party proposing the
document shall electronically file the original document, indicating in the caption when
leave was granted. Example:
JOHN DOE )
) 09-12345-MLW
v. ) Amended Complaint
) (Leave to file granted 5/20/11)
ABC CORP. )
S. Submitting Redacted Documents
The parties may request or the court may require the submission of documents that have
been redacted/stripped of sensitive or confidential information. The redacted document
prepared for electronic filing shall include the original caption of the document, and be
clearly labeled as “Redacted Document.” A specific event is available for this purpose
(“Redacted Document”), found under the Other Filings/Other Documents menu option.
Attorneys and pro se litigants are advised to take extra care when creating PDF
documents intended for submission to CM/ECF. Steps shall be taken to ensure the
documents are free of any hidden data (metadata) that may contain redacted information,
or traces of information edited or deleted are not hidden in the final document. Even PDF
content that has been encrypted may be recovered. An advisory document with additional
information on this topic may be found on the court’s website.
T. Submitting Proposed Order
Proposed orders usually are not required by this court. However, the court may request
the party to submit such a document. In those situations, unless otherwise directed by the
clerk’s office, electronically file the proposed document/order using the entry for
“Proposed Documents submitted to the court,” found under the Other Documents menu,
or as an attachment to the motion to which it relates.
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U. Transcripts
1. Proceedings of this court. A transcript of a proceeding of this court shall be prepared
in PDF format and submitted to the clerk’s office by the court reporter. The transcript
will be filed electronically, following the practices established by the court’s
Transcript Redaction Policy. Within twenty-one (21) days after the date on the NEF
of a Transcript, any party who purchased an original or a copy of the transcript shall:
a. Review the transcript to determine whether it contains any personal identifiers
listed in Fed.R.Civ.P. 5.2 and Fed.R.Crim.P. 49.1, whichever is applicable,
and
b. Electronically file a Transcript Redaction Request if that party concludes the
transcript contains personal identifiers that must be redacted.
2. Transcripts from other courts and depositions. A transcript of a proceeding of another
court, or a deposition transcript shall be filed electronically, if so available, otherwise
on paper.
V. Correcting Docket Entries
1. Once a document is submitted and becomes part of the official record, corrections
to the docket are made only by the clerk’s office. The CM/ECF system will not
permit the filing party to make changes to the document(s) or docket entry once
the transaction has been accepted.
2. A document incorrectly filed in a case may be the result of posting an incorrect
PDF file to a docket entry, selecting an incorrect document type from the menu,
or entering an incorrect case number and not recognizing the error before the
transaction is completed. The filing party shall not attempt to refile the document
unless specifically instructed to do so by clerk’s office staff.
3. As soon as possible after an error is discovered, the filing party should contact the
docket clerk assigned to support the presiding judicial officer, and provide the
docket clerk with the case number and document number for which the correction
is being requested. If appropriate, the court will make an entry indicating that the
document was filed in error. The filing party will be advised whether the
document should be refiled.
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W. Technical Failures and Planned Unavailability of System
1. From time to time, CM/ECF will be taken off line so that upgrades and other
maintenance may be performed.
2. Scheduled systems outages will be posted on the court’s website, at
http://www.mad.uscourts.gov, whenever possible. A user whose filing is made
untimely as the result of a technical failure of the court’s CM/ECF system may
seek appropriate relief from the court.
3. Technical difficulties on the filer’s end, with telephone, cable lines, the filer’s
Internet Service Provider (ISP), or hardware or software problems, will not
constitute a technical failure under these procedures nor excuse an untimely filing.
A filer who cannot file a document electronically because of such technical
difficulty on the filer’s end shall file the document conventionally along with a
copy of the document in PDF format on a compact disk or contact the clerk’s
office for permission to submit the PDF document via email. As help desk support
is available during normal business hours, filers are strongly urged to
electronically file any documents during that period.
The court has made available a public terminal (computers and scanner) in each
clerk’s office for registered users to scan and electronically file documents. This
equipment is available during normal business hours. Users should bring their
prepared document and a valid CM/ECF login and password.
X. Access to Electronically Stored Documents
The public may review at public terminals in the clerk’s office all case documents that
have not been filed under seal. The public may access case files in CM/ECF through the
court’s website (www.mad.uscourts.gov) by obtaining a PACER login and password.
PACER logins are available through the PACER Service Center, at 800-676-6856 or at
http://www.pacer.uscourts.gov.
Y. Retention
Unless otherwise ordered by the court, documents that are filed on paper and
subsequently uploaded to the CM/ECF system may be destroyed and need not be
maintained in its paper form by the clerk’s office. Any document requiring an original
signature shall be maintained by the attorney until two (2) years after the expiration of the
time for filing a timely appeal. (See subsection M)
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APPENDIX I
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
V. CASE NO. __________________
______________________________
NOTICE OF FILING WITH CLERK’S OFFICE
Notice is hereby given that the documents, exhibits or attachments listed below have been
manually filed with the court and are available in paper form only:
The original documents are maintained in the case file in the clerk’s office.
__________________________________________
Date Attorney for
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
District of Massachusetts July 2011
Office of the Clerk
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APPENDIX II
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS
V. CASE NO. __________________
______________________________
NOTICE OF FILING FEE PAYMENT
Notice is hereby given that the required fee for the:
☐ A. Notice of Appeal - $455.00 document # _____________
☐ B. Initiating document (civil case)- $350.00 document # _____________
☐ C. Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus/new case - $5.00 document # _____________
☐ D. Initiating document (MBD) - $39.00 document # _____________
☐ Motion for leave to appear pro hac vice ($50.00 per attorney)
☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐ 6
for a total of $____________ document # _____________
in the above entitled case is submitted through CM/ECF and pay.gov
__________________________________________
Date Attorney for
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
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